New revelations from internal Hillsong documents shared by independent MP Andrew Wilkie show the need for greater scrutiny of Australian charities — and the bodies that regulate them.
This is part two of a series on the Hillsong whistleblower files. Read part one here.
A year ago, almost to the day, the Hillsong megachurch was shaken to the core when it emerged that its founder, pastor Brian Houston, allegedly confused by a mix of alcohol and anxiety tablets, had spent 40 minutes in the hotel room of a female Hillsong supporter.
That was a mighty moral hit against Houston and the church.
Now the second shock has hit, this time potentially more lethal than the first.
A trove of internal Hillsong documents, which have been tabled in Parliament by independent MP Andrew Wilkie, threaten to inflict serious damage on the church should they back up his parliamentary claims. (Hillsong has not yet responded.)
Beyond the claims, made by Wilkie under parliamentary privilege, the documents may for the first time offer the clearest insight yet into the Hillsong way of doing business.
What is that way? From its earliest days, Hillsong has operated through charities that attract tax breaks. The tax breaks are many: they give Hillsong exemptions on fringe benefits tax, GST and — most importantly — on the church’s income. Some Hillsong charities are able to offer tax deductibility on donations. All these tax breaks are enabled by the Australian government and to an extent are underwritten...
Patricia White, 70, of Old Greenwich, received a nine-month prison sentence for submitting false claims for unclaimed properties to around 30 state treasuries. HARRISBURG, Pa. — Months after her br...